


Knowing Me and Knowing You

by Sundrangea



Category: Mamma Mia! (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:01:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sundrangea/pseuds/Sundrangea
Summary: Bill returns to the island.
Relationships: Donna Sheridan & Bill Anderson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Knowing Me and Knowing You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kissoffools](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissoffools/gifts).



Bill never stayed in one place long, and he rarely returned to locations. There was no need, always a new adventure on the horizon. However, Kalokairi held a special place in his heart. His Great Aunt lived there, and he had fond memories of a beautiful broken blonde who could still smile even though her heart had gotten broken. She impressed him. He wasn’t in love with her, and she wasn’t in love with him. A one-time romp worked just fine, but if he stayed, he would have fallen for her. That was not fair. Beside, to quote a famous song, no harbor was his home, his love and his lady was the sea.

That was not to say that the sea could not be a cruel mistress. Constant travel and a gaggle of nieces and nephews helped, but at times, he felt lonely. People would remember the author, but what about the man? Could he truly make a difference in someone’s life? Be the person they needed? 

With these and other thoughts in his head, he found himself drifting to Kalokari. The island was beautiful. The contrast between the rocky island and the sea was a remarkable sight. He would be able to clear his head and hopefully start working on a new book. It was quiet and relaxing. A true paradise of silence. 

*Splash*

Well mostly silent. Bill looked over and watched as a young girl jumped into the sea and started doing backstrokes around the cove. She was laughing and seemed as quick as a fish and as light as a bird. 

Paying her little mind, he continued to the dock and disembarked, as he tied his boat up.

The girl swam over. She couldn’t be older than 8. She had blonde hair and was a tiny little thing. There was something familiar about her; he could not put his finger on it.

“Good morning,” she said, as she put her arms on the deck, the rest of her staying in the water. “Are you staying at the hotel?”

“There’s a hotel here?” He was surprised. Not many tourists found themselves here, so it stayed natural,  
pure and quiet. It was more of a local place.

“Sophie!” He heard a woman screaming. Bill looked down at her.

“Are you Sophie?” He asked.

She nodded. “Yes, that’s my mom, and I’m late for school.”

“Then you’d better go. Education is very important.”

“Did you go to school?” She asked inquisitively. 

A white lie couldn’t hurt, could it? “Yes. School taught me everything I learned.”

She laughed, “Really?”

He found himself smiling back, “No, but unless you want a life at sea, school is the place to be.”

“Sophie,” the voice called. It was getting closer.

“I gotta go,” Sophie said. “It was nice to meet you.” And with that, the little fish started swimming away.

“Sophie!”

Bill turned to see Sophie’s mom as she came to the dock. He felt the air leave his lungs. It couldn’t be. There in a pair of dungarees was Donna. She had aged, but still looked wonderful. A bit more haggard, more lines around her eyes and lips, her hair up in a bun, but it was undeniably Donna.

Donna had a daughter. 

She let out a gasp. “Bill?” Her reaction told her everything he needed to know. She seemed scared, worried, as if her old world was about to change.

There was only one thing he could say. “How old is Sophie?”

Donna looked him square in the eye, “She’s 8,” she said with a quivering voice.

“She has my aunt’s name.”

“Your aunt helped me when I had no one. Don’t worry,” she rushed to reassure him, “she’s not yours.”

He couldn’t help but scoff. “The girl is blonde, blue eyed like me and clearly loves the sea. We were together then. You want to try that again?”

“I was also with two other men at the time.”

“Damn, and I thought I was special.” He said sarcastically. “I knew I was a rebound. You needed someone and I was there. Doesn’t mean that the kid isn’t mine.”

“It also doesn’t mean that she is.” Donna snapped back.

The two of them stared at each other, waiting for someone to say something. 

“Fine,” Donna conceded. “You might as well come up to the hotel.”

As he followed her silently, thoughts swirled in his head. He never planned to be a father, he was never the type to stick around. He had nothing against children, it just had never been in the cards. But now? He wasn’t so sure. They walked up to the rickety hotel and Donna had him sit at the table and she pulled out a bottle of ouzo and two glasses. She poured them both a drink and they both took a shot. It wasn’t his favorite, but he needed the alcohol. 

“So, the two other men?” He found himself asking.

“Harry, the banker in Paris and then Sam.”

“Sam and you were here, right?” She looked at him sharply. “Aunt Sophie told me when she saw that we were coming back that you had just had your heart broken.”

Donna snorted. “Yeah, he messed me up pretty bad.”

He needed to break the ice and to make her smile. “Yes he did. You ended up in my bed because of it, so I can’t be too disappointed.”

She playfully punched his arm. “You are terrible.”

“But you loved me.”

They stared at each other for a moment. 

“Platonically.” Donna said as he took another shot. “I loved you as a friend.”

“And Sam?”

“I was totally in love with him. I guess he wasn’t in love with me.” The way she said it was a sign enough for him not to pry more.

“Why didn’t you go home to your family?” He tried another tactic. 

“Mom told me not to come back. I embarrassed her. I didn’t want Sophie to have to feel that rejection.”

“I’m sorry.” What more could he say? 

“It’s okay, Sophie is worth it.” She said with a small smile. “She’s amazing. Plus I had two wonderful friends to help me.”

“Have you ever tried to find him? Let him know he may have a daughter?”

“He left to marry someone else.” She stood up and drank out of the bottle. “What am I going to say? Hey remember me, we had am amazing month in Greece together, you left me to marry someone else, but guess what? I got pregnant! Yeah, that would go great," she finished sarcastically. 

Bill stood and took the alcohol from her and took a drink as a well. "Probably not." 

The air changed between the two. Donna looked away.

"Knowing me and knowing you, we wouldn't work. Please don't ask to be her father. I don't want to say no, but I don't want to hurt her. Sophie's my world."

"She seems like a good kid." Bill knew that he was not going to be a good dad. He still wanted to travel the world. He didn't want to push into a world where he was not welcome. He knew enough parents who hated each other, Sophie did not deserve that. "If you don't want me to be a father, can I at least be her Uncle Bill? I'll visit when I can, spoil her with gifts and tell her to avoid strange blonde men in boats."

"Brunettes as well," she said smiling, and relived. "Both Sam and Harry had dark brown hair." She paused. "Please don't offer unless you're sure. Sam made promises to me and he broke them."

Bill took a moment to respond. Donna was so skittish. But he had been searching for something. A young child who expected him to visit could be something. She made him smile and his world, while it was so large, now became smaller. 

"I'm sure," he nodded. "Uncle Bill." 

They shook hands and Bill and Donna both knew that while they were not going to fall in love or into bed, they were going to be in each other's lives for the next few decades. Bill and Donna were united in making Sophie smile. Knowing the two of them, it would be enough.


End file.
